The present invention relates to wearable devices that dispense chemicals such as insect repellents and/or fragrances.
Various techniques have been developed to provide humans with protection from insect bites. For insect control inside buildings a primary emphasis is placed on trying to keep insects from entering the building at all (e.g. placing screens over windows). This sometimes is supplemented with chemical treatment of room air and/or the use of traps. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,582,714 and 7,175,815, and also U.S. patent application publications 2005/0079113, 2006/0039835, 2006/0137241 and 2007/0036688.
When the individual is outdoors where the area can't be effectively screened, and the individual is mostly staying in a particular area (e.g. at a picnic, or on a patio near a building), traps and repellents are the primary focus. For example, a common approach is to use candles (e.g. citronella candles) or other dispensing devices which disperse repellents such as citronella into the air.
Alternatively, and in any event when the individual is moving away from a single area that they control, individuals often apply an insect repellent to clothing or directly to their skin. The source of repellent protection thus moves with the individual.
However, if a consumer does not read the label or other instructions associated therewith they may not understand how long a particular application of the chemical is likely to remain most effective. This may lead the consumer to prematurely apply additional product before it is necessary to do so, thereby increasing the overall cost of protection. Alternatively, they may not make a repeat application of product soon enough, until after the effectiveness of the product has decreased dramatically. This may lead to consumer dissatisfaction.
In any event, some conventional insect repellent sprays/lotions sometimes raise concerns deriving from the location where the chemical is to be applied. For example, where the product is intended to be sprayed on clothing, this will limit how the spray is formulated (e.g. to avoid using certain otherwise preferred solvents or actives that can stain certain fabrics). This can increase costs, or require some compromises with respect to other desired attributes (e.g. perceived feel). Moreover, even where the formulations are designed to be sprayed directly on even very delicate clothing, consumers may be unwilling to test that out, and thus avoid the product regardless of its suitability.
Similarly, notwithstanding suitability, some consumers have expressed a reluctance to apply insect repellents directly to their skin. Again, this can lead to consumers avoiding products which direct that type of application.
As a result, the art has attempted to develop compact, portable electrical devices having a fan and an insecticide source therein. These devices may have a clip so that they can easily be mounted on a belt, a purse, or even a pocket, and thus be “worn” by the consumer as they move outside. The device may draw air through, or blow air past, a substrate impregnated with an insect repellent or other air treatment chemical, thereby dispensing the active into the air, preferably (in the case of a repellent) downward along the outside of a human's clothing. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,296,902, 7,007,861, 7,152,809, and 7,168,630, and U.S. patent application publication 2003/0175171.
There have even been a variety of attempts to develop use indicators associated with air treatment devices, so that consumers can tell when the device needs servicing/refilling. See e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,062,649, 4,293,095, 4,824,827, 5,293,648. See also U.S. Ser. No. 11/609,923, filed Dec. 13, 2006.
However, some such devices blow the active too far out away from the human body, causing too little of the active to reach locations of primary concern (e.g. near ankles). Other such devices don't provide a way of minimizing waste of the active, such as while blower operation is suspended between uses. Still other such devices are unduly costly, are too heavy, or have other deficiencies (such as not providing sufficient feedback to the consumer when the device is otherwise operating ineffectively).
Hence, a need exists for improved devices for dispensing insect control actives and other air treatment chemicals, particularly those that can operate without applying chemicals directly to the skin or clothing.